ever aning five million dollars in assistance in areas most -- affected bay the housing crisis, nine cities in alameda and contra costa counties. >>> the man considered to be the toughest sheriff in america is in san francisco trying to figure out whether students at a local middle school sent him hate mail. sheriff joe arpaio tried to clear it up. >> reporter: joe arpaio now is known as the toughest sheriff in america also as the most controversial sheriff in america. this morning he might qualify as the most frustrated sheriff in america. others exhibit adult quality penmanship but the words all in spanish allegedly from students in a middle school sent to the sheriff, designed to hurt. >> then they said i have concentration camps with my tent city i put up 20 years ago. then i'm a racist. and i break up families and just go after brown people. >> reporter: he has a national reputation for aggressive enforcement of illegal immigration laws. he figured since he was coming to town he offered to come out to the middle school and talk to the students or at least the teachers or the principal.